Vehicle-spring.



M. P. RUMNEY.

VEHICLE SPRING.

APPLICATION man SEPT. s, |913.

1 1 85, 1 34 Patented May 30, 1916.

UNITED STATESk PATENT OFFICE. MASON I. ImmNn'Y, oir` DETROIT, MICHIGAN, AssIGNOn To DETROITISTEEL PRODUCTS COMPANY, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION or MICHIGAN. f

VEHICLE-SPRING.

To all whom it mag/concern Be it known that I,`MA soN P. RUM-Nm', a

`citizen of the United States of America, re-

siding at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and tate of-Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ve- .'hicle-Springs, of which the following isa specification, reference being had thereiny to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to vehicle springs 'of' the leaf type, and it is the object ofthe invention to provide means for lubricating thecontacting surfaces of theleaves. To'- this end the invention comprises the construction as hereinafter set forth.

In the'drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a semi-elliptic leaf-spring to' which my improvement is applied; Fig. 2 is a .bot-l tom 1an view thereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section through portions of two Y adjoining leaves, as shown in Fig. 2; Figs. 4 and 5 are views similar to Fig. 3, showing a modified construction; and Fig. 6 is a section similar to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, showing a slightly Imodified form of closure for the lubricant receptacle.

In the use of liese springs, it is well-known that the leaves move relatively one to the retaining recess be formed between the meetshape of slight indentations or grooves,

other and that after a short time they produce an unpleasant creaking noise, due to' this motion. To overcome this, it is the ordinary practice to use a tool to separate the leaves and inject oil, or dope, between the leaves. This gives temporary relief, but as there is no means of holding the lubricant, the .effect very quick-ly wears away. It has heretofore been suggested that the lubricant by cutting away either in the but this manner of providing for a lubricant retaining means reduces'materially the strength of the spring-or of that leaf which iscut ing faces of the springs, portions of one or both springs,

away. Particularly in automobile construction, it is well-known that it is very essential that the springs should not be weakened, as a breakage of a spring in traveling at a high rate of speed is apt to produce se- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented' May 30, 1916.

Application tiled September 8, 1.913. Serial No. 788,657.

formed of superimposed leaves of graduated length, as usual in such springs, and, this being a downwardly-bowed spring, the longest leaf is on top and the leaves gradually decrease in length to the lower one,

the .ends of each lupper Y leaf projecting slightly beyond the next lower one. Inthese end portions, preferably each of the lower leaves or at least a plurality of them,` I form a lubricant receptacle, B, by striking up the metal of the leaf between the side edges any desired shape, although I prefer to make it circular, as shown. y 1

Placing the lubricant receptacle in the overlapping end portions of .the leaves does not interfere with the free movement of the leaves in relation to eachother, and if these receptacles are filled with dope, they will retain the lubricant between the leaves for a long` period of time after being once filled-which may be done in the usual maiiner.

Instead of .filling ratin lthe springs, I may provide a dopecup, engaging in the face of the lubricant receptacle, as shown inFig. 4, or I may provide a screw plug, dope may be inserted, as shown in Figg. Also, if desired, instead of merely putting the dope in the receptacle I may put in a pad' of felt,`or other fibrous material, as shown incant. n,

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a leaf spring, a leaf having a struckup portion near the free end thereof forming a recess for containing lubricant and also provided with a marginalportion bearing upon an adjacent longer leaf for retaining the lubricant.

2. In a leaf spring, a leaf having a rounded struck-up portion near the free end thereof forming a recess -for containing lubricant and also having a narrow marginal portion substantially parallel to said recess bearing against an adj acent` longer leaf and forming a retainer for the lubricant.

3. In a leaf spring, aA plurality of leaves, the leaf of intermediate llength being provided with a struck-up portion which clears the adjacent shorter leaf, and forms a lubricant-containing recess sealed by the adj acent longer leaf.

4. In a leaf spring, a leaf having a struckthe receptacle by sepa- D, through which the thereof. This lubricant chamber may be-of 1 Fig.` 5, to better hold the lubri- Y up portion adjacent to the free end thereof, formi-ng a lubricant-containing and retaining pocket.

5. In a leaf spring, a leaf having a struckup portion forming a lubricant-containing recess, an adjacent leaf for closing said recess, and means for supplying lubricant to said recess.

6. In a leaf spring, a leaf having a struckup portion forming a lubricant-containing recess, and a lubricant cup secured to said struck-up portion for supplying lubricant to said recess.

7. In a leaf spring, a leaf having a struckup portion forming a lubricant-containing recess7 and a pad of absorbent material in said recess for distributing the lubricant to the adjacent leaf.

8. In a leaf spring, a leaf having a struckup portion adjacent to the free end thereof, said struck-up portion extending externally from the spring and forming a lubricantcontaining pocket. Y

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

in presence of two Witnesses.

MASON P. RUMNEY. 

